Parachute harness



Dec. 9, 1930. R MITH 1,784,162

PARACHUTE HARNES S Filed Nov. 4. 1929 Patented bec. 9, 1930 UNITEDSTATE-ST:

PATENT? OFFICE.

new sxrrn, or llrolmrs,vrnnrl, rmsnvnrm, assumes an swrrux manuvrao'runme company, A conrona'rrou or NEW .nmsmr rmcnu'rr: amassApplication fled Iovember 4, 1029. Serial re. 404,650.

The present invention relates to harnesses intended to support a riderfrom a parachute, and it has for its object to produce a harness thatshall be simpler, better and safer than prior harnesses. When a riderwearing one of the harnesses now in general use falls backward or headdown, the side pull of the lifting webs or suspension elements loosensthe breast straps, so that the harness is drawn off the shoulders andthe rider can fall out. Viewed in one of its aspects, my invention maybe said to have for its object to produce a simple and novel harnessthat shall securely hold the rider regardless of the in which he jumpsorfalls.

Another objection to the-type of harness now in use is that the strainon the back straps tends to pull the strap seat out from under therider, causing the weight of the rider to be transferred to the legstraps. When this occurs, the rider is not onlyver uncomfortable but issometimes injure Viewed in another aspect my invention may be said tohave for its object to produce an efficientharness in which there shallno back pull on the strap seat, whereby the latter wlll always maintainits proper position effectively to perform its intended function.' ad-Harnesses must be capable of bein justed to persons of various sizes, anmy invention has for one of its ob'ects to pro'- duce a novelconstruction where y a harness may be quickly and easily adjusted andwill always be comfortable and safe regardless -of the size of theperson to whom it isad- I justed.

While the rid r should be tightly held dur: ing a descent, a tightlyfitting harness'on a person sitting down is uncomfortable.

duce a harness that will be safely tight when the wearer is standing butcomforta ly loose when he is sitting down.

In manufacturin a harness accomplishing the foregoing o jects I havefound that a smaller amount of webbing and fewer adapters are requiredthan in the present standard harnesses and, therefore, the presentinvention may be said to have for an A. further object of my inventionis to pro-} object the production of an improved har-- ness at a lowercost thanheretofore.

In the case of harnesses used with seat packs it is customary to sew thedownwardextending portions of the lifting webs to t e back stra s tokeep them from flapping the stitchin ture when t e arachute opens. Inaccor ance with allot er feature of my invention {Frovide a simpliermethod of holding the eingsuificiently weak to ru ing webs ofa seat packin place and at tailed description taken in connectionwitll theaccompanying drawing, wherein Figures 1 and 2 are res ectively front andrear perspective views 0 a person wearing my improved harness; Fig. 3 isa view, partly in edge elevation and partly in section, showinfragmentsv of one of the lifting webs, t e corresponding breast strap,and

one of the dia onal back straps, at their juncture; and ig. 4 is asection along the edge of one of the back straps, at the point where theback stra s cross.

Referring to the rawing, 1 and 2 are two lifting or suspension websconnected by a cross element 3, all being preferably made in onecontinuous length; the whole constituting a swing in which the ridersits, the part 3 forming the seat strap and the parts 1 and 2 extendingupward in front ofthe wearer.

There are two diagonal back straps, 4 and 5, crossing each other; eachback strap extendiilg forward at the top and. lower end so as to passover a shoulder of the wearer and over the hip on the opposite side. Thebreast strap de'vice consists of two straps, 6 and 7, each fastened atits ends to one of the upright elements of the swing at the shoulder andat the hip. The distance along the straps, 6 and 7, between thefastenings at the ends,

is greater than the corresponding distance along the upright swingelements, so that when the breast straps, are connected together at themiddle, by means of a ring 8 and a I each suspending web and theupperpart of the corresponding breast strap extending through one of thewindows in the adapter;

the size of the thigh of the wearer.

and the upper end of the corresponding back strap being passed up frombelow through the adapter in contact with the rear side of the upper endof the breast strap, .over the cross bar, down through the secondwindow, in the adapter, and then back again to the back of the harnessalong the upper side of the main portion of the back strap. The end ofthe back-turned part of the back strap is fastened to one bar of asecond frame-like adapter 12 having a cross bar 13; the body portion ofthe back strap being threaded through the adapter, passing through thefirst window, over the cross bar, and back through the second window.

The adapters 10 may be moved up and down along the suspending webs,whereas the adapters 12 may be slid along the body portions of the backstraps, varying the points of connection between the webs and the strapsand the eifective lengths of the straps.

The lower ends of the back straps are brought forward across the hipsand are there connected to the suspending webs, as indicated at 14. Thelowerends of the back straps may conveniently form parts of adjustableleg strap devices. In the arrangement shown, there are two leg straps 15and 16 each fastened at one end to the seat strap 3. The free ends ofeach leg strap is adjustably connected to one of the suspending webs bymeans of a ring 17 and a snap hook 18, one of which is slidably engagedwith the adjacent portion of the corresponding back strap which is drawninto a loop or sling whose length may be varied to suit The length ofthis loop or sling depends upon the amount of back strap that is paidout at the lower end.

It will therefore be seen that the adjustments for the back straps andthe leg straps are all made by simply shifting the adapters 10 and 12;no separate adjustment being required for the leg straps, as a pull on aback strap, in adjusting it, is transmitted to the corresponding legstrap which will be automatically tightened to the same degree. The

harness is therefore not only simple in construction, but it may beeasily adjusted to fit any wearer in such a way that the pull will beequalized between the leg straps.

It will'ialso be seen that at no time is there any tendency to pull theseat strap from under the rider, because the suspending webs are infront and, whatever pull there is on the leg stra s is in a direction todraw the seat strap orward against the person of the rider. In case aperson should fall backward or head down the lifting pull exercised bthe suspending webs serves to tight en the back straps and also thebreast straps, so that there is no danger of falling out of' theharness. When the wearer sits down some slack appears in the suspendingwebs, between the shoulders and the hips; so that the harness, althoughsafely tight when the wearer is standing, Will be comfortably loosewhilethe back straps and the ..wearer is seated.

The amount of webbing required in the construction is considerably lessthan that in present types of commercial harnesses and, therefore, andbecause of the fact that noseparate adapters are required for the legstraps, the harness costs less to make. Each breast strap and one of theback straps may be and preferably are made from a single length ofwebbing which is suitably folded at the juncture of the back strap withthe suspending web to start the first leg of the breast strap in theright direction. Therefore the cost of manufacture as well asthe cost ofmaterial is reduced to a minimum.

The upper ends of the suspending Webs are carried back over theshoulders to the para chute pack, as is usual. When a seat pack is usedapad 19 may be placed in front of the back straps so as to lie. betweenthem 'and the back of the wearer. The lengths of the suspending websextending down from the shoulders to the seat pack may then be fastenedto this pad by quickly detachable fasteners to avoid the necessity ofsewing them temporarily to the back straps. In the arrangement shown,the webs pass under little tapes 20 each sewed at one end to the pad anddetachably connected therewith at the other end by a snap fastener 21.These tapes hold the webs against the pad until a suificient outwardpull is exerted on the webs to release the snap fasteners, as is thecase when the parachute opens and the weight of. the rider comes on thetapes. Y

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a singlepreferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to theexact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend tocover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of myinvention constituting the ap- 1 right elements, two

upright elements extending upwardl in front of him, diagonal back stra seach adapted to extend forwardly over a s oulder of the wearer and overthe hip at the opposite side, a member slidable along each of saidupright elements, the upper rtion of each back strap extendin slida lythrough the corresponding slida le member and being continued to theback along the strap, a sliding connection between the lower end of thebackturned part of each back strap and the body of the strap, the lowerand forward ends of the back straps being connected to said uprightelements, two leg straps extending from the bottem of the swing to thesaid upright elements near the lower ends of the latter, and a breaststrap device detachably connecting said igright elements together.

2. the wearer is adapted to e'seated with the upright elements extendingupwardly in front of him, diagonal back straps each ada ted to extendforwardly over a shoulder of t e wearer and over the hp at-the'oppositeside, a member slidable along each of said upright elements, the up rportion of each back strap extendin slida 1 through the correspondingslida le member and being continued to the back along the strap, asliding connection between the lower end of the backturned part of eachback strap and the body of the strap, the lower and forward ends of theback straps bein connected to said upleg straps each secured at one endto the bottom of the swing, sli'dable connections between the other endof each leg strap and the lower forward ortion of the corresponding backstrap, an a breast strap device connecting said upright elementstogether.

3. A harness comprising a swing in which the wearer is adapted to sitwith-the upright elements of the swing lying in front of him, diagonalback straps each adapted to extend forwardly over a shoulder of thewearer at the upper end and over, the hip on the opposite side of thewearer at the'lower end, connections between the upper and lower forwardends of each back strap and the adjacent upright element, means toadjust the efiective lengths of the back straps, leg straps extendingforward from the bottom of the swing, means connecting each leg strap tothe corresponding lower forward portion of the corresponding back strapsat variable distances from the corresponding upright element of theswing to cause variable lengths of the ,back stra adjacent to the saidupright elements to e folded back and serve as extensions of the legstraps, and a breast strap device between said upright elements.

4. A harness comprising a swing to the upright elements of which theparachute is apted to be attached, in which swing the wearer is adaptedto sit with the vertical harness comprisin a swing in which swingelements lying in front of him, diagonal lengthwise-adjustable backstraps adapted to extend forwardly over the shoulders and hips of thewearer to said vertical ele-,

ments, c onnections between the back straps and sald upright elements atthe shoulders, leg straps each connected at one end to the bottom of theswing, connections between 5. A harness comprising a swing to theupright elements of which the parachute is adapted to be attached, inwhich swing the wearer is adapted to sit with the vertical swingelements lying in front of him, diagonal lengthwise-adjustable backstraps adapted to extend forwardly over the shoulders and hips of thewearer to said vertical elements, adjustable connections between theback stra s andsaid upright elements at the shoul ers, leg strapseachconnected at one end to the bottom of the swing, connections betweeneach upright, the corresponding leg strap and the lower forward end ofthe corresponding back strap to produce a leg-receiving loop of variablesize, and a breast connection between said upright elements.

6. In a harness, vertical suspension elements adapted to lie in front ofthe wearer of the harness, breast strap devices including two stra ssecured to the suspension elements at t e shoulder portions andextending downwardly in convergingrelation to each other, metal adaptersfitting around and slidable along the suspension elements andthe upperportions of said breast straps, back and leg stra devices includingdiagonal back straps a apted to extend forwardly over the shoulders ofthe wearer, each back strap .passin through one of the aforesaidadapters an then backward along the body portion of the back strap, andan adapter fastened to each of the back-turned ends of the back strapsand slidably engaged with the body portion of the corresponding backstrap. I

7. In a harness, suspending members adapted to lie in front of thewearer, diagonal back straps, slides on said suspending members at theshoulders, the upper end of each back strap extending throu h thecorresponding slide and folded bac upon itself, and an adjustableconnection between the free end of the back-turned portion of each backstrap and the body portion of such strap. V v

48. In a harness, sus ending members ada ted to lie in front 0' thewearer, slides on t e sus ending members at the shoulders, diagonal ackstraps, slides on the back straps at the back of the wearer, the upper

